The Good Life
by Ixcalia
Summary: Mello and Matt are together, but what happens when Matt decides he wants a kid and Mello doesn't know what to think? MelloXMatt
1. Chapter 1

I have no idea where this idea came from, but it seemed cute enough. It's a MelloXMatt story with a twist…enjoy!

Ages:

Mello- 22

Matt- 22

L- 29

Near- 6

Chapter 1:

The irritated blonde pulled his red leather coat tighter around his self as snow began to fall from the sky. Mello and Matt had been dating for two years now, and though Mello refused to make such a commitment legal, they might as well have been married. They had grown up in an orphanage in England together and, once they were old enough to leave said institute, found a place to live together. One thing led to another, and they were together. When Mello thought about it, it seemed to go by too fast.

Mello and Matt lived well; they were often called upon by L, the world's number one detective, to help him with cases that required field work. So, money had never been a problem for the two. They were in love, they had money…so what was the problem? Why was Mello walking through the streets, seemingly pissed?

Ever since Mello had been young, he often wondered what would happen if he were to have a kid. He had grown up in a bad environment himself, his parents abusive and bipolar. They were very quick to anger, and it was no secret that Mello was very much the same. It seemed that the only one who was excluded from his angry episodes was Matt himself.

He always feared that, if he had a kid, he would treat it like his parents treated him. That was something he wasn't willing to risk. So, it came as an unpleasant shock when Matt had nervously told him that he'd like to adopt a kid. What the hell? Matt had always told him that he hated kids, so why he suddenly changed was beyond him. Mello, angrier at himself than Matt, had stormed out of the house, leaving the poor red-head alone.

He always wished he could give Matt everything he wanted. In fact, if it wasn't for his long time fear, he knew he would have quickly agreed to Matt's request. The very thought of harming a child like his parents did to him made his shudder. It just wouldn't be fair to the poor, unfortunate child that was chosen.

Mello finally looked up and realized where he was. It was L's temporary residence. Well, if anyone was going to give him advice, it might as well be the most intelligent person he knew. He sighed heavily and pressed the buzzer that would let the occupants know that someone was at their gates.

"Who is it?" an elderly voice asked. Mello pulled his hood up to hide his face. He couldn't risk being seen or heard.

"It's Mihael," he said quietly. The gates immediately swung open and Mello quickly made his way to the front door where the elderly man was already waiting for him.

"Ah, Mello. We weren't expecting you," Watari said, taking Mello's jacket and hanging it on one of the racks. "L is upstairs in the last room on the left. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Hot chocolate would be nice," Mello said, making his way upstairs. The door was already hanging open, meaning that L was expecting him. He walked in and closed the door behind him, sighing softly. "Hey L."

"Matt called asking if I'd seen you. Apparently you've been missing for nearly five hours now," L said, turning to face Mello's surprised face. "One often loses track of time when in deep thought. What's wrong Mello?"

Mello sat down in one of the chairs, only now realizing that his hands and feet were numb from the cold weather outside. "Matt wants a kid," he said, getting straight to the point. He needed comfort, advice, anything that could help him with the situation. "I don't thing—"

"That you'll make a good father," L finished, dropping some sugar cubes into his tea. "Why is that, Mello?"

"Because, I'm too much like my parents! I get angry too easily. I don't want to make any kid suffer because I can't control myself." L hummed thoughtfully, sipping at his tea.

"Mello, you never seem to get angry with Matt," L said, nibbling on his thumb. Mello nodded, leaning his cheek against one of his hands.

"Because I love him," Mello said, shifting restlessly. "I can be patient with him for that reason alone."

"When one has a child, they often feel a similar affection for the child. Though it's not the same kind of affection you feel towards Matt, it is a very powerful kind of affection nonetheless. I think you could control yourself." Mello looked away. He doubted it. Thinking back to how he treated the younger kids at the orphanage, he couldn't imagine being kind to any child.

"Mello? Do you remember the day you were first brought to the orphanage? You were only ten and I had just turned seventeen. You were brought in, covered in blood and several serious injuries. You were barely alive, yet there you were, lying in Watari's arms and fighting as much as your body would allow." Mello snorted at the memory. It was a horrific memory, one that he didn't like to think about, so why was L bringing it up? "Do you honestly think you could ever do that to a child; your child?"

"No," Mello admitted hesitantly. "If it were in my power, I would never hurt a kid, especially to the point of abuse."

"They why worry?" L asked. Mello bit his lip, thinking everything over. Maybe L was right. Maybe, if he worked at it hard enough, he could make a decent father. Besides, it was all for Matt.

"You're right," Mello said, a slight smile crossing his face. It would make Matt happy. L nodded his head.

"Now, I think you should get home. Matt is worried about you," Mello nodded, getting up and walking to the door.

"Thanks L," Mello murmured quietly, before walking out. Watari met him at the bottom of the stairs, handing him a Styrofoam cup full of hot chocolate and handing him his coat.

"It's getting bad out, so you should get home quick. You don't want Matt coming to look for you in this," Mello nodded his agreement and walked out of the house to see the ground now covered in a thick sheet of snow. He could see the cars driving slowly, some sliding slightly. He was glad he decided to walk.

A few minutes through his walk, Mello noticed a small child stumbling around in front of him. He was only wearing a pair of white pajamas, but they didn't look very white anymore. They were covered in dirt and grime, as was his white hair. The boy seemed so out of it, swaying from one side of the sidewalk to the other. There were no adults accompanying him either.

Mello shook his head and looked around. It was really none of his business. Maybe the kid was a runaway, though he seemed far too young to take care of himself. He noticed the snow was beginning to pick up its pace, and it was becoming difficult to see. He really needed to hurry home before Matt did decide to search for him. It was too dangerous to be driving.

Suddenly, the boy that had been walking in front of Mello fell to his knees, his entire body shaking. Mello vaguely noticed that he wasn't wearing shoes either, which was a pretty good sign that the kid wasn't just a runaway. He could feel his stomach churn guiltily and he slowly made his way over to the child.

"Hey—" A horn blared drawing Mello's attention to the road. A car was sliding in their direction; not enough that it would hurt Mello, but the boy was right in its path.

"WATCH OUT!"

Yes, a short first chapter, but I will see what everyone thinks before I go on.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews! Anyway, things might slow down soon….I start college on September 8th so I may not have as much time. Or, I'll have a lot of extra time when I'm waiting for my next classes to begin. We'll have to see.

Chapter 2:

Mello slowly opened his eyes, blue meeting black as he looked down at the child that he had just barely managed to push away from the oncoming vehicle. The boy's eyes were wide with shock and fear, his body shaking horribly. Mello briefly wondered if it was from fear or from the cold that he was completely vulnerable to.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Are you both okay?" Mello slowly stood, looking at the woman who had finally managed to stop the car. "Is there anything I can do?" Mello snorted, helping the boy up.

"We're fine," Mello answered coldly, scowling at the worried woman. "And there is something you can do; walk home." The woman glanced at the new-looking car, but reluctantly nodded.

"Walking should be so much safer," she murmured, head bowed low. "I'm really sorry. I'm glad you're both okay." With a quick bow, the woman was on her way, leaving Mello's cold gaze quickly.

"Stupid…" Mello grumbled quietly, looking back to the boy who hadn't moved. He was staring at the ground, body still shaking; Mello decided that it must have been the cold. Looking around, he quietly cursed when he found his hot chocolate splattered across the ground. So much for offering the boy that. Mello sighed and glanced at the boy again, his mind made up.

He carefully picked the child up, taking his coat off and wrapping it around him snuggly. It wouldn't do too much for him, but it would still help. The boy let out a quiet, shaky gasp when he was lifted from the ground and clung to Mello's leather shirt tightly.

"Hey, I won't drop you," Mello mumbled, trying to sound soothing. The boy nodded slowly and relaxed. "My name's Mello. What's yours?"

"Nate River," he answered quietly, his eye lids drooping. Despite the cold, he felt exhausted. He just wanted to sleep right now.

"Nate, huh?" Mello grimaced at the name. It was so bland and unoriginal. "Well, I'm going to call you….Near. Yeah, Near will do."

"Why Near?" he asked, tilting his head to look up at the leather-clad man. Mello shrugged nonchalantly and shifted Near in his arms.

"Because: do you realize how close you came to getting his by that car, how close you came to possible death?" Near shuddered at the thought and tightened his grip on Mello once more.

"Then, thank you for saving me," Near muttered, closing his eyes. Mello shook him lightly, pulling the coat tighter around him.

"I need you to stay awake. You're too cold to be falling asleep," Near shook his head stubbornly, keeping his eyes firmly closed. "So, Near, how old are you?"

"…six." Mello nodded, talking to him in an attempt to keep him awake. Near's head lolled against his chest.

"Uh, why were you out here like this anyway? You're not dressed properly and you're too young to be out alone," Mello looked up and smiled slightly. He could see the house now. It wouldn't be long until he was home.

"My parents kicked me out," Near mumbled, seemingly more awake at the question. Mello frowned slightly, pulling him closer. Why did people have to be so cruel? When Mello thought about it, the world was such a small place. It seemed so easy to find abused children anymore.

"Well, don't worry kid. I'll take you to my house to get warmed up. You can stay there until I figure out what I should do with you. In fact, here we are," Near shifted slightly, looking up to the large house with wide eyes. It was much bigger than the house he lived in.

Running up the steps, Mello pulled out his keys and went to unlock the door, but before he could, the door was thrown open and Matt bumped into him, knocking both of them to the ground. Mello clung to Near tighter, being sure the boy didn't hit the ground.

"What the…?" Matt rubbed his head, and glanced up, a look of relief washing over his face. "Mello! I was getting worried!" Matt quickly stood, helping Mello up and looking at Near questioningly. "Um—"

"Not now," Mello muttered, walking inside quickly. "I need you to run a warm bath. Make sure it's not too hot." Matt blinked, quickly putting two and two together.

"Right," Matt nodded and ran up the stairs to run a bath. Mello took his coat off of Near and replaced it with a blanket that was lying on one of the couches.

"Near, I'm going to give you a warm bath. Is that okay?" Near nodded slightly as he looked around the room curiously.

"Could I…maybe go to sleep after a bath?" he asked, finally relaxing once more and laying his head on Mello's shoulder.

"Only when I'm sure you're warmed up," Mello grumbled, taking him up stairs. The kid was so quick to trust, something Mello was sure his parents had used that to their advantage multiple times. It made Mello feel sick. It made him feel like beating the shit out of the kid's parents, but there were more important things to do.

"It's ready Mello," Matt said, dragging Mello from his thoughts. "It shouldn't be too hot for him, but make sure first. I can't say I've ever been outside long enough to get too cold like that." Mello nodded and took Near into the bathroom.

He sat him on the floor, taking the blanket away from him. "Can you check the water? Make sure it's not too hot for you." Near nodded and reached his hand into the warm water, wincing at the burning sensation. The water didn't really feel hot…it was more his hand that felt like it was on fire.

"It hurts," he whispered, quickly moving his hand away from the water. Mello sighed deeply and nodded. He figured it would but the kid needed to get warmed up. "Do I have to take a bath…?"

"Sorry kid. We have to warm you up before I can let you sleep. You don't want to get sick, do you?" Near reluctantly shook his head and slowly began to strip. Mello frowned slightly. He couldn't let him wear the dirty pajamas he had found him in. He turned to Matt. "Hey, can you find something that he can wear for now and get these washed for him?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, but I want to know what's going on. You had me worried Mello! I was about to go look for you, despite the snow and dangerous road conditions!" Mello growled quietly. He guessed he owed Matt an explanation.

"I went to talk to L, and after I left, I saw him nearly get hit by a car that had went out of control. In his condition, I decided to just bring him here. Besides, he said his parents kicked him out. I can't just leave him on the streets to freeze to death!" Matt blinked, a small smile forming on his face.

"Didn't we just get done arguing that you couldn't be nice to kid? Look at you right now," Matt gathered Near's clothes up and glanced at Mello again.

"Not now Matt," Mello muttered, running his hand through his blonde hair. His kindness towards the kid could have just been pity. It didn't mean he could treat all kids the same. Right now wasn't the time to think on it though.

Matt sighed and nodded, leaving the room. Mello turned back to Near, lifting him carefully and slowly placing him in the tub. Near hissed loudly, clinging to Mello's shirt tightly, the burning sensation feeling worse on his feet than it had on his hands. Tears began to well up in his eyes and he shook his head, trying to pull his self out of the tub.

"I-I don't want a b-bath Mello," he stuttered, a soft sob escaping his lips. Mello held him still, not letting him move.

"You'll get used to it. Just hold still and relax. It'll feel better soon," Near looked up at Mello with dark, watery eyes. Mello could see him searching him, trying to find the truth in his words. Finally, Near nodded and clenched his eyes shut, trying his best to endure the burning pain.

"You just got to be strong kid. Be strong, and everything will turn out okay in the end."


End file.
